9.00 – 12.30 TRAINING & TACTICS FOR SEREE IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT

Background – Urban SERE

SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Extraction) has more conventionally been focussed on the traditional environments of arctic, desert, jungle and temperate. The Urban environment has historically been avoided for a variety of reasons including: reducing fratricide, avoidance of high-personnel losses (Berlin and Stalingrad) and because the synergistic characteristics of the environment have the power to degrade characteristics of weapons, communications capabilities and logistical support.

Overview of workshop content

The workshop will take a detailed look at this complex environment drawing conclusions as to the key differences and specific challenges it creates. Having drawn out those key elements of difference the workshop will, through discussion and case studies, address those issues raised concerning both IPs and Recovery. Lastly, the workshop will look at ways in which the highlighted can be incorporated in training to prepare those for urban isolation.

As the nature of conflict changes, as seen in current theatres as well as potential future theatres, the urban environment will feature more heavily. Accordingly the possibilities of isolating incidents in the urban environment will also grow. The dynamics and synergy of such urban environments calls for them to be addressed in a more unconventional manner than has previously been understood.

By attending this in-depth and interactive workshop, you will gain:

• Greater understanding of the importance of the Urban Environment and the challenges posed for SERE
• Awareness of the complexities of this multi-dimensional fifth environment
• Insight into how conventional SERE training may be counter-productive for the urban environment
• Comprehension of ways in which changes to current SERE training can address the problems posed as well as enhancing situational awareness of other environments

The workshop will be facilitated by:

Flight Lieutenant Conrad Allen (RAF Retired)
Consultant Managing Director of Urban SERE

Conrad Allen enlisted in the RAF straight from school in Jan 1987 serving initially on a RAF Mountain Rescue Team, during which time he responded to many aircraft crashes as well as the recovery of military and civilian personnel in distress in the UK. In 1998 he was commissioned into the RAF Regiment and served operationally in Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands and conducted psychological d to conduct a groundbreaking study into evasion in the urban environment. He has shaped UK policy and become the UK subject matter expert in Urban Evasion and Escape and is currently engaged with operations in Bosnia as part of EUFOR. His last tour of duty, before retiring, was as a SERE instructor with the Defence SERE Training Organization at RAF St Mawgan where his particular skills were used several government agencies in promoting and developing PR in this taxing and dynamic environment.